Highlights

• New bibliometric study analyzing 76,768 papers over 50 years reveals China accounts for 24.1% of global rare earth research—more than double the U.S.—with Chinese institutions at the center of collaboration networks.
• Research shifted from geology to materials science, green extraction technologies, and circular economy strategies, with China controlling the intellectual leadership that shapes processing, patents, and supply chains.
• The rare earth race is now a knowledge race: mining diversification alone won't solve supply risks without industrial focus on processing, recycling, and materials substitution capabilities.

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A new large-scale bibliometric study led by Medet Junussov (opens in a new tab) of Nazarbayev University (opens in a new tab), with collaborators from Kazakhstan’s Satbayev University, the Ministry of Industry, and China University of Mining and Technology, offers a blunt assessment of the rare earth landscape: China doesn’t just dominate rare earth processing—it increasingly dominates the knowledge that shapes the industry’s future.

Published in Processes (January 2026), the study analyzes 76,768 peer-reviewed rare earth element (REE) papers published between 1975 and 2024, making it the most comprehensive quantitative mapping of REE research to date.

What the Researchers Did

The authors conducted a 50-year bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database, applying two analytical tools:

• aCross-Disciplinary Publication Index (CDPI) to measure how integratedREE research is across fields, and
• a Technology–Economic Linkage Model (TELM) to trace links between academic research, patents, and industrial relevance.

Advanced network analysis software mapped authors, institutions, countries, funding sources, and thematic clusters.

The Core Findings

China leads decisively. It accounts for 24.1% of all global REE publications, more than double the United States (11.7%). Chinese institutions—especially the Chinese Academy of Sciences—sit at the center of global collaboration networks, shaping work across geology, metallurgy, materials science, and chemical engineering.

Research surged after geopolitical shocks. Publication growth accelerated sharply after 2008, coinciding with China’s export restrictions and the clean-energy transition. Annual REE papers now exceed 5,000 per year, closely tracking supply-security concerns.

Materials science now drives the field. It shows the highest interdisciplinarity score (CDPI = 0.81), tightly linked to nanotechnology and mineral processing. This signals a shift from finding ore to processing, substituting, recycling, and engineering rare earths more efficiently.

Green innovation is no longer fringe.

 Four dominant research themes now define REE work:

1. deposit geology,
2. advanced material applications (magnets, batteries, catalysts),
3. green extraction technologies (bioleaching, ionic liquids, membranes), and
4. circular economy strategies, including recycling and urban mining.

Unconventional sources—coal fly ash, phosphorites, red mud, and e-waste—feature prominently, with coal-hosted REE alone estimated at ~50 million tonnes globally.

Why This Matters

Rare earths are geologically widespread—but processing knowledge is not. The study shows that China’s dominance increasingly rests on intellectual and technical leadership, not just resource access. For the U.S., Europe, and allies, mining diversification alone will not solve supply risk. Processing, recycling, and materials substitution must become industrial priorities.

Bottom Line

The rare earth race is now a knowledge race. Countries that control research agendas are better positioned to control processing, patents, and supply chains. China understands this—and the data show it’s acting accordingly.

Source: Junussov et al., Process Evolution and Green Innovation in Rare Earth Element Research (opens in a new tab) (1975–2024), Processes (2026).

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